Liquid expressing press



Nov. 30, 1943. c. B. UPTON LIQUID EXPRESSING PRESS 2 Sheets-Sheevl lFiled June l2, 1942 Nov. 30, 1943. c. B. UPToN 2,335,819

LIQUID EXPRESSING PRESS Filed June 12, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l /0 if/NVEN TOR Patented Nov. 30, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I moon):ine 'PRESS A Charles B. Upton; Piqua, Ohio, assignor to The French OilMill Ohio Machinery Company, Piqua,

Application June iz, 1942, serial No. 446,833

` claims. (ci. 10o-4s) This inventionrelates to improvements in oil orliquid expressing presses of the continuous type A in which, as suchpresses are commonly constructed, the oil bearing or other materialcontaining liquid is fed more or less continuously into a cage or barrelthrough which the solid material is forced and expelled through arestricted discharge opening by one or morek axial worms or screwsrotating in the cage, whereby the material is subjected to pressure andthe oil or liquid in the material is expressed therefrom and escapesthrough nne openings or perforations in the walls of the cage.

vIn the operation of such presses, the material becomes more compact andthe pressure thereon should increase as it progresses through the cageunder the action of the worms until, in the pressing of some materials,high pressures amounting at times to as much as nve or six thousandpounds per square inch, are reached. The material enters the cage in .arelatively loose mass or non-compact condition and its bulk is reducedmore and more as it is subjected to pressure and gives up its liquidduring its progress through the cage, the amount of reduction in thebulk or mass of material depending largely upon the liquid contentthereof. Materials having a high liquid content give up their liquidmore readily and at low- Y er pressures than materials having a lowerliquid content, i. e., in which the proportion of liquid is lesscompared with the brous or solid content of the material.

Therefore, various attempts have been made heretofore' to'design orconstruct the pressure worm assembly or means of such presses so as tomaintain or progressively increase the pressure on the material as it isadvanced through the cage towardthe discharge and its mass or volume isprogressively reduced, in order to obtain proper performance andeillcient operation ofthe press. With such considerations in view, thepresses have been provided with a plurality of worm nights arranged insuccession axially in the cage and separated or interrupted byintervening spaces, with means, such for example, as xed partsprojecting radially inward from the cage walls, acting on the materialin these spaces to prevent rotation of the material in the cage with theworm-nights; and also the progressive worm nights, orv successiveportions of the pressure worm means have been relatively changed in oneway or another with said end in view of maintaining or progressivelyincreasing the pressure on the material as it is advanced through thecage and progressively decreases in mass or volume.

sure worm means or assembly of novel and im- Y proved construction orarrangement which will other object is to provide an improved wormassemblyfor such presses which is of practical, desirable and economicalconstruction.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, which willhereinafter appear,l preferred embodiments of my invention, disclosed inthe accompanying drawings, are hereinafter described and the novelfeatures ofthe invention are set forth in the appended claims.

In said drawings:

Fig. ,1 is a fragmentary, longitudinal, Asectional elevation of a liquidexpressing press provided with a pressure worm means or assemblyembodying my invention,` showing the worm assembly in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a view showing the worm assembly in longitudinall section andthe relation of the breaker or knife bars thereto.

Fig. 3 is a transverse. section of the worm assembly on line 3 3, Fig.2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional elevation, enlarged on line 4 4, Fig.1.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing a pressure worm assembly ormeans of slightly v modined form embodying the invention.

Referring rst to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1-4, thepress comprises a cage or barrel A forming a cylindrical pressurechamber I0 in which the pressure worm means or assembly (designated B asa whole) is axially arranged. In these presses as commonly constructed,the cage is stationary and the pressure worm assembly is rotated thereinby suitable drive means, and such construction is herein disclosed, butinsofar as the present improvements are concerned, it is immaterialwhether the pressure or dischargeworm or worms, or the cage is arrangedto rotate.

The cage may be of any suitable construction and, as illustrated in thedrawings, it is of known construction, comprising two semi-cylindricalmain body portions or halves Il (divided longitudinally on adiametrical, axial plane) which are rigidly but separably boltedtogether about and support a circular series of longitudinal drainagebars I2 that are separated by narrow spaces or slits forming escapeopenings or perforations for the expressed liquid. The material is fedinto One object of my invention is to produce a presv one end of thecage, preferably through a suitable feed chamber I4 axially alined withthe cage and provided with an inlet or feed opening Ila, and the wormassembly compresses the material and advances it lengthwise in the cage,forcing or expelling the compressed solid material or cake out through asuitable discharge opening I5 at the opposite end of the cage. The areaof the discharge opening may be varied or regulated as required, as bythe usual adjustable cone or regulating device I6.

The worm assembly, as shown in this embodiment of the invention,comprises a plurality or series of worms arranged in succession inthepress, including a feed worm I1, located in the feed chamber I4, andfollowed in order by a combination pressure and discharge worm I8, twodischarge worms I9 and 20, and a tapered discharge sleeve 2I after thelast discharge worm 20. These successive worms and discharge sleeve 2|are shown surrounding a drive shaft 22 which extends axially through thefeed chamber and cage. The feed worm may be arranged to rotate about theshaft 22 and be suitably driven by known means at a higher speed thanthe succeeding pressure or discharge worms, which latter, together withthe discharge sleeve 2 I, may be keyed or splined to the shaft andrigidly secured thereon to rotate with the shaft, as by a nut 23 screwedon the shaft, which may be suitably driven to rotate the pressure anddischarge worms I8, I9 and 2U at a lower rate of speed than the feedworm I1. 'I'he feed worm may be of known or any suitable form, but asshown, comprises a cylindrical body provided with two worm nights 24 and25, which are separated or interrupted by a gap or space 26 into which alug or projection 21 nxed on the cage extends for preventing or impedingrotation of the material in the cage with the worm.

The body of the combined pressure and discharge worm I8 shown has smalland larger cylindrical portions 28 and 29 respectively at its inlet anddischarge ends connected by an intermediate tapering or conical portion30, the smaller portion of the body being provided with a worm'n.ight3l, andthe larger portion with a worm night 32, which wormflights are spaced apart or separated by a gap at-the conical,intermediate portion of the wormbody.' Preferably, the small inlet-endof thls'worm has substantially the same diameteras the adjacentdischarge end of the feed worm.

Each of the two discharge worms I9 and 20 has a worm night (respectivelydesignated 33 and 34) on a. tapering or frusto conical body, whichincreases in diameter toward the discharge end of the Worm. These twoworms may be alike and of the same dimensions, and are spaced from thecombined pressure and discharge worm I8 and from each other by spacingsleeves or collars 35 and 36 splined or secured on the shaft 22 torotate with the Worms. Said sleeves or collars are of smaller diameterthan the large discharge ends of the pressure and discharge worm I8 andof the two discharge worms I9 and 20, and preferably, the sleeves arecylindrical and of substantially the same diameter as the smaller endsof the worms I8, I9 and 20. Thus, the bodies of the worms I8, I9 and 20form annular shoulders 31 at their discharge ends which projectoutwardly beyond the spacing sleeves and face toward the discharge endof the cage. The several worm nights of the worm assembly, it will beseen, are thus interrupted or separated by gaps or spaces, formed by thespacing sleeves, in which space means, such as projections 38 on knifeor breaker bars 39 nxed in the cage, are provided to engage the materialand prevent or retard its rotation in the cage with the worms.

The pressure worm assembly thus comprises successive worm nights whichare spaced apart or interrupted by intervening gaps or spaces in whichmeans act to obstruct rotation of the material in the cage, and at thedischarge end of each of the worm nights 32, 33 and 34 is formed anannular projection or shoulder 31 which acts to prevent backward orretrograde movement of material in the cage toward its inlet end underthe influence of the pressure on the material beyond the shoulder ortoward-the cage discharge.

As shown and thus described, the pressure Worm assembly is built up ofseparate-piece or separately formed worms I8, I9 and 20, nnal dischargesleeve 2I and spacing sleeves 35 and 38, assembled and secured on theshaft 22, which construction is preferable from the standpoint offacility and economy of manufacture, but insofar as their functions andoperation are concerned, the described worm bodies and nights andspacing and discharge sleeves may all be considered as portions of astructure made in one or more parts, and the claims are not intended tobe limited to the separate piece, built-up construction, except wheresuch is specincally recited in the claims.

Since the body of each of the worms I8, I9 and 20 is larger in diameterat its discharge end than at its inlet end, the annular space in saidcage around said bodies, and which is occupied by the material,decreases in capacity toward the discharge end portion of each worm, andis increased or is of larger capacity just beyond the discharge end orshoulder 31 of each worm. Similarly, the space decreases around thedischarge sleeve 2l towards the discharge opening of the cage. Thus, theworm assembly acts to force the material through a succession of spacesof decreasing capacity and, in effect, subjects the material to pressurein successive stages, and at the entrance or large end of each suchspace is an outwardly projecting, annular shoulder or obstruction 31which acts to maintain the pressure and prevent loss of pressure byescape of the material backwardly toward the inlet end of the cage.

The effect of this construction or relative arrangement of parts is thatthe sleeves being smaller in diameter than the discharge ends of thebodies of the discharge worms, the larger diameter of the discharge endsof the discharge worms act, not only to give the material eXcessivesqueezes as it passes over these larger sections of the worm bodies, butalso the discharge ends of the worms being larger in diameter than thesleeves, they form obstructions or baiiles which prevent the materialunder pressure from working back towards the feed end of the cage,thereby helping to build up pressure and overcome the resistance at thedischarge end of the cage, or tendency of the material to back up in thecage on account of the higher pressure at the discharge end of the cage.

The embodiment of the invention, shown in Fig, 5, is substantially asdescribed above except that the feed worm I1a and combined worm I8a eachhas one continuous or uninterrupted worm night, instead of twospaced-apart nights, and each of said worms, and also each of thedischarge Worms I9a and 20a is provided inter- Thus, the collars 40still further increase the pressure on the material and the efficiencyof the press.

I claim as my invention: l

1. In a iiuid expressing press comprising a cage having aperturcd sidewalls and a pressure worm assembly therein, one of which rotates forcompressing vand moving material in the cage and through a dischargeopening thereof, an improved pressure worm assembly including a wormhaving a projecting peripheral worm flight and plain -lghtlesssleevespreceding andsucceeding said worm, the body of said worm increasing indiameter towards its discharge end from a diameter approximately thesame as said preceding sleeve to a diameter at its discharge end largerthan that of said succeeding sleeve, thereby forming with said followingsleeve a projecting abrupt annular shoulder which faces toward said.discharge opening.

2. In a uid expressing press comprising a cage having apertured sidewalls and a pressure worm assembly therein, one of which rotates forcompressing and moving material in the cage and through a dischargeopening thereof, an improved pressure worm assembly including successivespaced apart worm flights projecting from the peripheries of bodyportions each of which is of larger diameter at its discharge end thanat its opposite end, and a plain ilightless sleeve-like portion whichprecedes each said worm body portion, said sleeve-like portion eachbeing of substantially the same diameter as the small end of the rst ofsaid worm body portions and of smaller diameter than the discharge endof the worm body portion whereby the larger discharge endvof the wormbody portion forms a projecting annular shoulder that faces towards thedischarge opening.

3. In a uid expressing press comprising a cage having apertured sidewalls and a pressure worm assembly therein, one of which rotates forcompressing and moving material in the cage and through a dischargeopening thereof, an improved pressure worm assembly including successivespaced apart worms having bodies of substantially like diameter, each ofwhich worm bodies increases in diameter towards its discharge end, and aplain iiightless sleeve between said worms which is of approximately thesame diameter as the small ends of said worm bodies and is of smallerdiameter than the large ends of the Worm bodies whereby the largerdischarge end of the preceding worm body forms a projecting annularshoulder that faces towards the discharge 1 opening.

' pressure worm assembly including successive spaced apart worms havingbodies of substantially like diameter, each of which worm bodiesincreases ing.

10. A pressure worm assembly in an expressing in diameterl towards itsdischarge end, a plain flightless sleeve between said worms which is ofapproximately the same diameter as the small endsA of said worm bodiesand is of smaller diameter than the large ends of the worm bodieswhereby the larger discharge end of the preceding worm body forms aprojecting annular shoulder that faces towards the discharge opening,and a discharge sleeve which follows the last worm, the end of saiddischarge sleeve nearest to the worm being of smaller diameter than thedischarge end of said worm body and said sleeve increasing in diametertowards its discharge end.

5. In a iluid expressing press comprising a cage having apertured sidewalls and a pressure worm assembly therein, one of which rotates forcompressing and moving material in the cage and through a dischargeopening thereof, an improved pressure worm assembly including` acombination worm succeeded by spaced apart discharge worms and spacingflightless sleeve-like parts between adjacent worms, said combinationworm having body portions of different diameter provided with wormnights and an intervening truste-conical body Portion, the discharge endof the body of each of said several worms being of larger diameter thanthe adjacent end of the sleeve-like part following the worm and theopposite end of the body of each of said discharge worms having adiameter approximately the same as the preceding sleeve-like part.

6. A pressure worm assembly in an expressing press according to claim 5,in which said spaced discharge worms are of like diameter and havebodies which increase in diameter toward their discharge ends.

'7. A pressure Worm assembly inan expressing press according to claim 5,in which said spaced discharge Worms are of like diameter and like pitchand have bodies which increase in diameter towards their discharge ends.

8. A pressure worm assembly in an expressing l press according to claim1, in which the body of said worm is provided intermediate of the endsof said worm ilight with a projecting peripheral shoulder that facestowards said discharge opening.

9. A pressure worm assembly in an expressing press according to claim 2,in which the body of each worm is provided intermediate of the ends ofsaid worm ilight with a projecting peripheral shoulder that facestowards said `discharge open-A press according to claim 3, in which thebody of each worm is provided intermediate of the ends of said wormflight with a projecting peripheral shoulder that faces towards saiddischarge opening.

11. In a fluid expressingl press comprising a cage and a pressure wormassembly therein, one of which rotates for compressing and movingmaterial in the cage and through a discharge opening thereof, animproved pressure worm assembly including a combination worm succeededby spaced apart discharge worms and plain ilightless spacing sleeve-likeparts between adjacent worms, said combination worm having body portionsof diierent diameters with an intervening frustoconical body portion andbeing provided with a worm flight, the .discharge end of each of saidworms being of larger diameter than the adjacent end of the sleeve-likepart following the worm, and each of said spaced discharge worms beingprovided intermediate of the ends of its iiight with a projectingperipheral shoulder that faces towards said discharge opening.

12. In a fluid expressing press comprising a cage having apertured sidewalls, and a pressure worm assembly which rotates therein forcompressing and moving material along in the cage and through adischarge opening thereof, the improvement which consists in a rotaryWorm assembly including successive spaced worms each having a body whichincreases in diameter towards its discharge end and a peripheral wormight projecting from said body, and a plain ightless sleeve whichsucceeds each said worm and is of smaller external diameter than thelarge discharge end of the body of the worm which it succeeds but isapproximately the same diameter as the smaller feed end of thesucceeding worm body, the discharge end of each said worm body formingwith the adjacent sleeve an abrupt continuous annular shoulder whichfaces toward said discharge opening, and the press having meansobstructing rotation of the material in the spaces surrounding saidsleeves.

13. In a fluid expressing press comprising a cage having apertured sidewalls, and a pressure Worm assembly which rotates therein forcompressing and moving material along in the cage and through adischarge opening thereof, the improvement which consists in a rotaryworm assembly including successive spaced worms each having a body whichincreases in diameter twards its discharge end and a peripheral Wormnight projecting from said body, and a plain ilightless sleeve whichsucceeds each said Worm and has a cylindrical periphery of substantiallythe same diameter as the smallest diameter of the body of the adjacentworm, the discharge end yof each said Worm body being of larger diameterthan and forming with the adjacent sleeve an abrupt continuous annularshoulder which faces toward said discharge opening, and the press cagehaving internal projections obstructing rotation of the. material in thespaces surrounding said sleeves.

14. In a yfluid expressing press comprising a cage having apertured sidewalls, and a pressure worm assembly which rotates therein forcompressing and moving material along the cage and through a dischargeopening thereof, the improvement which consists in a rotary wormassembly including successive spaced worms each having a body whichincreases -in diameter towards its discharge end and a peripheral wormflight projecting from said body, and a. plain ilightless sleeve whichsucceeds each said worm, said worms being alike in size and form andsaid sleeves having cylindrical peripheries of substantially the samediameter as the smallest body diameter of said worms, the discharge endof each said worm body being of larger diameter than and forming withthe adjacent sleeve an abrupt continuous annular shoulder which facestoward said discharge opening, and the press having means obstructingrotation of the material in the spaces surrounding said sleeves.

.15. In a fluid expressing press comprising a cage having apertured sidewalls, a pressure worm assembly which rotates therein for compressingand moving material along in the cage and through` adischarge openingthereof, and means for opposing rotation of the material in the cage, animproved Worm assembly including successive spaced apart worm flightsprojecting from the peripheries of worm bodies each of which is oflarger diameter atits discharge end than at its opposite end, and plainightless sleeves preceding and following each said worm, each saidsleeve being of approximately the same diameter as the small end of theworm body which it precedes and of smaller diameter than the dischargeend of the worm which it follows, whereby the discharge end of each Wormbody forms an annular shoulder that projects out beyond the periphery ofthe following sleeve and faces toward the discharge opening.

CHARLES B. UPTON.

